The Kremlin says Russia will gratefully accept President Trump’s offer to provide ventilators for coronavirus patients if needed.
“We take this confirmation that the American side may provide us such assistance, should we need it,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said of Trump’s offer, Russia Today reported.
Trump said Wednesday the US was ready to send ventilators to Russia, saying “they’re having a hard time in Moscow. We’re going to help them.”
He added the US also stands ready to provide ventilators to other countries, including Italy, Spain and France.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed Trump’s offer as “very positive,” saying in Thursday’s call with reporters that “Russia will certainly accept the kind offer if necessary.”
Russia said it had 27,938 coronavirus cases and that 232 had died.
Officials have scrambled to secure ventilators and other essential supplies amid an exponential growth in infections.
Earlier this month, Russia sent a planeload of medical supplies, including ventilators to the United States.
Moscow says the US paid for half of the medical supplies, while the other half was sponsored by Russia’s state investment fund.
Trump repeated his pledge to help other countries during Thursday’s Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
“We’re also going to have a big stockpile in the federal government, and we’ll be able to help foreign countries — countries that need help. Because … look, you have countries who will never be able to build a ventilator. It’s tough stuff. We’re uniquely talented in the sense that we can do things that nobody else can do,” he asserted at the White House.
With AP